Monday, December 26, 2011

Sorry for not blogging...been busy... busy... busy. A little of this...a lot of cleaning... and

celebrating...

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our 51st wedding Anniversary with Wayne's brother Paul and wife Gayle. Last year we celebrated it in beautiful warm Hawaii...but we can't complain about our Minnesota weather this year! We all like a white Christmas...it's nice to look at...but a lot easier to get around without any of that white stuff!
Jolyn

Thursday, December 15, 2011

One of the things that really makes Christmas for me is our Sunday School Christmas Program. For years we have used all ages...this year using a couple of young married women and high schoolers through preschool. I am very very thankful for the people who tackle putting this endeavor together. No easy task getting this many people to practices. We use the former Frost school as we always get a good crowd...what Grandpa and Grandma...aunts..uncles...cousins...want to miss this!

The theme was a mouse family who gave the setting and story....do note their mouse noses! Love the pajamas!

But of course the ones who always steal the show are the sheep. This year...no crying...no jumping off the stage...and just enough cuteness and yawns to keep us all smiling!

Not the best picture...but how can you capture the tenderness that Joseph expressed as he picked up the baby Jesus. And then there was the eating...but I was too busy eating to take pictures of the long tables of soups (5 different kinds!) ...good breads and all kinds of wonderful Christmas goodies. Now I'm ready for Christmas....just as soon as I get some baking done!!! and shopping!!! Sooo...you may see less of me here for a while...but I will be stopping by once in a while. Jolyn

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

I've shown this picture before...but wanted to be sure you would appreciate the "after".

Organized...ironed...cut up...labeled...easy to access...and so forth! I pressed almost every piece of fabric and cut the smaller ones into 2 1/2" and 9" strips! There are a lot of patterns that call for the 2 1/2" ones and I figure with the 9" ones I can cut them down or cut them into squares... The rest of the shelves will have to wait until after Christmas...I still need to make some order here in the sewing room. But it sure is a good feeling to have this much done!

In the kitchen department...this is how I buy my yeast...actually it comes in a 2 pack that I get at the Rainbow Co-op. I keep it in the freezer until I open it and then use two molasses jars to keep it in the refrigerator. Great stuff and soooo much cheaper than buying it at the grocery store in the jars. I buy my flour in 25# bags and always have one in the freezer and the rye flour I import from Fargo/Moorhead in 20# bags! I like the real fine ground and it's hard to find. Better get back to finding my sewing room...the rest of it is still pretty lost!Jolyn

Friday, December 9, 2011

Do you ever start things and later wonder whatever possessed you to do that?

Especially the further you get into the project...the more mess you make.

Seems like it just has to get worse before it gets better.

Never fails.

Cleaning my sewing room is one such case. I'm still in the "worse" stage...working towards the better.

Oh yeah, I mentioned making three...angel food cakes. As long as I'm making one and making a mess...I might as well make three. One doesn't last long...besides...it's so much fun washing the pans afterwards.......NOT!Jolyn

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

This is the before picture. Not proud of how it looks....but I'm working on it. I've decided to cut up all these into 9" strips and 2 1/2" strips. I have the top row done, all of the darks on the next two rows and am working on the lights. Each fabric has to be individually ironed and then cut. I've been doing this for over a week...day and night and during commercials and late night news. BUT today I had to get at some gifts so NO ironing...NO cutting. Play time!! Nice!

For my gifts...these are the tools...composition book ($1 at the $ store or 96cents at Wal Mart), rubber cement, scrap booking paper, sparkling things that stick on and a decorative scissors.

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I measure two pieces of paper to fit the top and back of the book. Cut the one edge with the fancy scissors. I have to remind myself that this goes next to the binding...not the outside edge.

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Do about 20 more.

Out of the leftovers... trim to fit the small composition books. (3 for $1...same store)

Now here's my "big" secret. I take an old magazine (usually one of Wayne's when he isn't looking as I don't want to ruin mine). I glue the backs using one page of the magazine to "catch" the extra glue...then glue the other back on the other side of the open magazine and turn the page...fresh gluing area!!
Did I manage to make that as clear as mud? Look at the picture if all else fails. It gets really hard to read the magazine after I'm done with all the pages glued together...believe me.

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Add some fun glittery stick-on-thingies and you have a fun (did I say cheap?) gift.

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Sometimes I use brads...those little things that have two little pokey things on the back that you push through the paper and then fold open...you know what I mean. I add them before I glue.

And here are some of the little ones. Forgot to take a picture...but there were 2" x 6" pieces of scrap booking paper left so I rounded the corners...laminated them...punched a hole in one end...inserted a ribbon and made book marks! I feel so crafty!!! I also made 3.......but that's for another day!Jolyn

Thursday, December 1, 2011

I probably should introduce Jude...what a difference a haircut makes! I wish I could look ten years younger when I get mine cut!

Linda using the Twister pattern and making Christmas wreaths!

Oh....that's me...showing a new fall wool pillow I made.

We teased Julie about dressing to match her quilt!

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I added another picture of Mike showing a cute little ghost quilt...but my computor has a mind of it's own! Anyway...there were lots more...you have to be there! My day today is a happy day. My dentist appointment was canceled!! I never mind putting that off! Call me chicken!Jolyn

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

It seems like each quilter's meeting that the number of people coming increases! Makes for more show and tell. Our last meeting was no exception. If you look closely in the corners...Ruth added some embroidered blocks. (her newest toy is an embroidery machine!)

She also added them in the "blank" blocks. Nice touch!

So...I didn't get her name...but she is from Elmore...does that count? The denim rag quilts are great ways to use up old jeans...plus they make a pretty indestructible quilt. Cutting the seams to make the fabric fray is the hardest!

Here was the "find" of the month! Monica found this Grandmother's Flower Garden top in wonderful condition...all hand pieced! Luckyyyy!!

A simple...but fun way to use up a set of Minnesota-theme fabrics.

Arlene wore her show and tell!

A cute little bag that Irene made.

It doesn't show in the picture...but the material that Irene used for the snowman just made this quilt! It was some kind of furry..fleecey..fabric. There's more....Jolyn

Friday, November 25, 2011

My newest woolie to decorate for fall...just in time for Thanksgiving. And speaking of Thanksgiving...we had a great time. Our table was full...with food and family. After eating...we shared things we were thankful for. Seemed everyone was thankful for someone in the family. Everyone brought food and it sure didn't seem like much work for me. Clean up is so much easier with a dishwasher and I made sure I ran it earlier in the morning so it would be empty. But there are always a few things...pots and pans that need to be washed. So my sister-in-law was doing the honors when the hot water faucet broke off and began spewing water all over...up to the light above the sink....all over the counter...all over my sister-in-law....not just water but HOT and BLACK. We tried to keep a towel over it to kind of control it, but it would get too hot and we'd have to let go. Tried just throwing the towel over it...but it quickly blew that away. So thankful this happened when Wayne was in the house and could run down and shut off the water. If I had been home alone when it happened....but...this will make history in the Olson family as "remember the Thanksgiving the water blew!" JolynAfter everyone left...there was my dishwasher full of dirty dishes and no water to the kitchen. So I had to wash and dry :( all those dishes. That was accomlished by hauling water from the mud room to the kitchen. Made me even more thankful for my dishwasher!